DIAD Masterclass

CBUK · 06-25-2008, 02:01 PM

I cant stand DIAD 4 and there are not enough hours in the day for me to harp on about why I hate it so much.

However, today I learned a new trick. Did you know that if you press shift twice followed by toggle twice, the keypad lights up and stays lit up even after the DIAD goes into stand by?

We never got any training when we lost DIAD 3. We just got given the new one. Training was being told by the sup to "phone the centre if you get stuck and we probably wont know the answer anyway!" It made me wonder if there are lots of other things that DIAD 4 does that I don't know about.

So here is your chance to impress me. What do you know about DIAD 4 that nobody else knows?

SumterCountyFlash · 06-25-2008, 02:30 PM

if you scan a barcode and u cannot get it to scan, and where u usually have to key enter the 13 digit 1Z, if you hit the FindBC it asks u to enter the last 4 of the 1Z and it brings up the whole pkg, just a little easier than key entering the whole thing... there's a few others, but a good magician never gives up his tricks..

PassYouBy · 06-25-2008, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SumterCountyFlash

if you scan a barcode and u cannot get it to scan, and where u usually have to key enter the 13 digit 1Z, if you hit the FindBC it asks u to enter the last 4 of the 1Z and it brings up the whole pkg, just a little easier than key entering the whole thing... there's a few others, but a good magician never gives up his tricks..

Thats only if you have EDD huh?

If the DIAD board doent beep when you are scanning...Hit it on a hard surface!!

SumterCountyFlash · 06-25-2008, 02:37 PM

yes, thats only if u have EDD, who does like some good ol' EDD, eh?

UpstateNYUPSer · 06-25-2008, 02:38 PM

Guys, both of those "tricks" were in the training manual that you both should have received when your center switched to DIAD 4. UK, you need to use the backlight feature sparingly as it drains the battery. Sumter, up here we have 18 digits in our barcodes, but you don't necessarily have to use the last 4 digits of the barcode to use Find BC. You can use any four sequential digits but it is much, much easier to use the last 4 as they are in large print on the PAL label. You do have to be active in the stop and you have to hit "Scan" , then Find BC, enter last 4, accept the 1Z that is given and continue with the stop. You may receive more than one 1Z so you do have to check to make sure you select the correct one. I use Find BC a lot, especially at bulk stops (WalMart), and it is a tremendous timesaver.

The one "trick" that has been discussed on this forum before has been the one that turns the radio off, thereby disabling the GPS. I have also read suggestions to put the DIAD in the microwave or wrapping it in aluminum foil, thereby disabling the GPS. Do yourselves a favor--don't mess with any of the settings on the DIAD.

PassYouBy · 06-25-2008, 02:40 PM

Instead of toggling between Alpha and Numeric when typing, you can (hold) the toggle button down and it will keep you in either or. (I'm brain dead today, so this may need clarifing if you do not understand).

But Benefits Are Great! · 06-25-2008, 02:49 PM

Only trick I learned last Saturday? Whenever I touched any button, I had to hand it back to my sup. End of day not so often

UpstateNYUPSer · 06-25-2008, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PassYouBy

Instead of toggling between Alpha and Numeric when typing, you can (hold) the toggle button down and it will keep you in either or. (I'm brain dead today, so this may need clarifing if you do not understand).

Which will work well unless your message includes both alpha and numeric characters.

DiadDude · 06-25-2008, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UpstateNYUPSer

Which will work well unless your message includes both alpha and numeric characters.

Press the button once in the morning to turn the ABC light on.
Then hold the button down for each number that you need to type (like a shift button). The DIAD will stay in Alpha mode all day, but type numbers when you hold the toggle down.

UpstateNYUPSer · 06-25-2008, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiadDude

Press the button once in the morning to turn the ABC light on.
Then hold the button down for each number that you need to type (like a shift button). The DIAD will stay in Alpha mode all day, but type numbers when you hold the toggle down.

I will have to try that because I have sent some messages back to the center that they have had to decipher.

BigBrownSanta · 06-25-2008, 06:44 PM

Here's a few secrets about Diad 4 that they don't teach you in the class. A couple of them DiadDude won't like, but the other couple are good.

The first one is if you try to scan a package and it won't read the barcode, you can smack it on any hard surface to make it scan. Just make sure you smack it on one of the edges of the Diad. Sometimes though, it may take more than a few smacks. If it still won't scan, throw it at the floor screen side down and the screen will shatter. About an hour later after someone brings you a new board, the second board may scan better.

A second one is, if you've ever gone to an address and the gps goes off and says your at the wrong address, prerecord the stop. When you unprerecord the stop, it won't play that stupid music and you can deliver the package in peace.

Thirdly, you can also turn the radio off if the gps constantly goes off telling you that you're at the wrong location. I don't know if that turns the gps off or not, but management doesn't seem to like it when all the delivery data doesn't get sent until after you clock out.

And finally, if you have a delivery you would like have a little fun at, then before you enter the delivery location, hit the scan button repeatedly about 20 or 30 times. When you walk in and scan the package, the Diad will sound like a slot machine that just hit the jackpot. If you don't believe me, just try it. BTW, it only works with EDD.

dilligaf · 06-25-2008, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PassYouBy

Instead of toggling between Alpha and Numeric when typing, you can (hold) the toggle button down and it will keep you in either or. (I'm brain dead today, so this may need clarifing if you do not understand).

Rats you beat me to it.
I leave it on numeric all the time. Hold shift enter alphabet and release shift and you are ready for numeric.

dilligaf · 06-25-2008, 06:52 PM

When you are entering the name of a signature, even when you in numeric you don't have to shift for alphabet.

dilligaf · 06-25-2008, 06:56 PM

I got my sup tonite, good. He was trying to figure out how to hand enter a truck number into a diad, but it wouldn't enter. I showed him how to override. Of course I had to rub it in JUST A LITTLE!!!!!!!!! He left right after that. No sense of humor.

trplnkl · 06-26-2008, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dilligaf

I got my sup tonite, good. He was trying to figure out how to hand enter a truck number into a diad, but it wouldn't enter. I showed him how to override. Of course I had to rub it in JUST A LITTLE!!!!!!!!! He left right after that. No sense of humor.

LMAO, that's when I tell them that it helps if you are smarter than the equipment and then laugh really hard.

UpstateNYUPSer · 06-26-2008, 02:55 AM

The line that I use is, "You have to be 10% smarter than the equipment that you are working with."

trplnkl · 06-26-2008, 02:58 AM

Good line, but in our center it would take the sups 10 minutes to do the math.

CBUK · 06-26-2008, 02:17 PM

A proud moment today showing the CM how to enter a second vehicle.

What is EDD? I've got a button that says Get EDD Data but if I try pressing it, I get a message saying no data is available.

Shame. The FindBC sounds excellent but I doubt I will be able to do it.